Boys
by QueenSpicyTea
Summary: Joyce Anne and her gang, her boys, are about to get into a heap of trouble. DallasOC, takes place through the book and a little past. -HIATUS-
1. Chapter 1

"Damn it, Ponyboy. Be more careful." I cautioned, pulling my long brown hair back into a ponytail as I sat down on the curb beside Dallas Winston.

He nodded, but was quiet. But that was Ponyboy.

My name is Joyce Anne Williams. Most people call me Joyce Anne though, and I'm not quite sure why they use the long one. But it's kind of signature now. So whatever.

Dallas lit me and Johnnycake a cigarette. I loved Dally. Since he got out of the cooler and dumped Sylvia for cheating on him, we hooked up and I haven't been this happy in a long while. He stole me the brown leather jacket I was wearing right there. I wasn't sure, always, if he liked me like a guy ought like a girl or if he liked me like he had Sylvia. But whenever I showed doubt he's plant little kisses along my cheek, so I never had much time to doubt him and his icy eyes and snowy hair.

At the moment, lost in my thoughts of my handsome frozen-over-hell, I was snapped out by Steve asking, "What were you doin', walkin' by your lonesome?"

Ah yes, good ol' Steve Randle. Such a downer, Two-Bit would say. "I was comin' home from the movies. I didn't think..." Ponyboy started.

"You don't ever think," Darry started to reply, but I cut him off. "C'mon, Darry. Ease up a bit, kid just got jumped," I advised, taking a drag on my cigarette.

He did quiet down. But I could tell he was still upset. I sighed and shook my head a bit, and grinned at Johnny, who only gave a small smile in response. Johnny was like the little brother I never had, and I loved him to bits.

Aside from Johnny, I looked over at my two best friends, Soda and Two-Bit. Soda looked just the opposite of Dallas. Dallas looked like some form of Jack Frost gone dark, he had the icy eyes and icy hair and pale skin but was hardened and rough. But Soda didn't look like that at all. He had the typical Mediterranean golden skin, with hair that looked like someone dumped sunshine on it. He was too sweet and Dallas was to bitter. But Soda was my best friend.

Two-Bit was the most wise-cracking guy I've ever met. He and I usually hung out and simply cut loose and cut up the entire time. He was great too.

I'd kind of need them all, though, in the events that would occur because we went to a damn drive in.


	2. Chapter 2

I met up with Johnny, Dally, and Ponyboy to go to the movies at the corner of Pickett and Sutton. We went to The Dingo, but aside from a little skirmish, not much action. So after killing some time, we went to the drive in. I saw a red-headed Soc had caught Dallas's eye.

Here's the thing about Dallas Winston. He had sex with other girls, and me, all the time. But I didn't mind. Not to call myself a hoe or anything, mind you. I just liked sex once in awhile and he was a sex fiend. So he'd take a one-night stand with a lot of girls, and me and him were the only ones that held any sort of romance or were dating. I had been dating him for six months by now. Besides, I was kind of curious to see whether or not this Socie girl would be so easy as Dally-boy started dirty talking her.

"Take your feet off my chair and shut your trap," she commanded him. At that moment I didn't very well like the red head. All Socs usually got on my nerves. But Dallas was my boyfriend so naturally I was upset. But I wanted my boy to not get totally murdered by a Soc for flirting with the girl. I adjusted the cuff on my jeans.

"Leave her alone, Texas," I said using my pet name for Dallas, "Don't get no Socie gent beating on ya. Ol' Shepard's already got a bone to pick with you."

She flashed me, however brief, a smile of gratitude. I didn't do it for her, though she apparently thought I had. That was a bonus. But it did work and sweet old Johnnycake didn't have to say a word to Dally, because Dallas just gave me a peck on the cheek and sulked off.

I listened to the girl, Cherry Valance, talk with Ponyboy for a bit. When Two-Bit got there I helped calm Johnny down. I decided to call Cherry, Strawberry, since I turned out liking her and what. See, for most of my friends I give them special names only I'm allowed to call them. Cherry would of been good since it sounds like her actual name, Sherri, but that wouldn't be just for me. They had to be just for me. Like how I called Dally Texas a lot, or how I called Soda Cola-can, or Two-Bit, No-name (because everyone forgot his real name was Keith), or sometimes called Johnny Johnny Apple Seed. I usually didn't use Ponyboy's, Stable, because he hated it an awful lot.

When Dallas came back and ended up with a coke sloshed into his face, I just grinned. Socie girls weren't supposed to be like Cherry Valance. They were supposed to be like her friend that was flirting with Two-Bit, Marcia. Ditzy and cool and superficially care-free, taking and not caring. But Strawberry wouldn't have that. Which is good, or otherwise I'd call her Cherry and not think high enough of her to give her a nickname else she'd be low as Marcia, maybe worse, Sylvia.

Aside from the trouble she gave Johnny, I just didn't like her. The ring Dally always gives his girlfriend, the ring I now wear, Texas had to pry it off Sylvia's hand cause that girl knew when he got it off she was officially out the door. She still hadn't gotten over Dallas after he'd broken up with the bimbo for cheating on him while he was jailed. She went from man to man trying to make Dallas jealous. At first we had fun picking on her for it, but then she started to look desperate and it was tiring.

I shrugged, listening to Strawberry hair talk with Ponyboy when they go back. Maybe things would be better round here, what with a greaser catching a Soc's eye in a positive manner.


	3. Chapter 3

I didn't say much on the way home. Two-Bit had busied himself with Marcia, and Ponyboy with Cherry. And I didn't think making Johnny talk too much would make him very comfortable. So I just stroked his hair, wondering what it would ever look like in those big dark eyes for the little brother I never had, to be calm.

After we went our separate ways after a damn run in with some Socs, one of whom quite frankly got told my ass would be a _wonderful _place to kiss, I went to Buck's. None of us really like Buck, but my Texas crashed there some, so I figured I'd get myself over there and check up on him.

I ended up staying a bit. I got into a conversation with a couple of greasy girls, Virginia and Cecile. The funny thing is with these girls is they seem to forget I'm a girl with a gender, because my gang is a group of guys.

I saw Buck getting Dallas down. I wasn't as concerned that he looked half-awake and shirtless as I was someone was capable of getting my gentleman out of bed. So I handed my unopened beer bottle to Cecile (who I saw open it and chug it down) and went over to the door. Johnny and Ponyboy were there, but I got the main idea even though I'd gotten over there late. Johnny, my little Johnny Apple Seed, killed the stupid Soc who had been invited to kiss my rear, Bob what-ever-the-ass's-name-is.

Dallas got another shirt for Ponyboy, and pulled out a gun. "Here," he handed it to Johnny, "the gun's loaded. For pete's sake, Johnny, don't point the thing at me."

After Dallas had given Johnny and Ponyboy fifty dollars, I threw another twenty five on the pile. "I'm goin'."

Texas furrowed his eyebrows. "Joyce Anne, you're staying here, we don't need more people running off than-"

I crossed my arms. "They'll need someone to help watch them, I'll do it." Actually, I was more worried about Johnnycake having a nervous breakdown. A glare from me told Dallas I wouldn't relent. So he gave in.

"Hop the three-fifteen freight to Windrixville. There's an old abandon church on top of Jay Mountain. There's a pump in the back so you don't have to worry about water. Buy a weeks supply of food as soon as you get there- before the store runs out. And then don't so much as stick your noses out the door. I'll be up there as soon as I think it's clear." He sighed and lit a cigarette, took a drag on it, and looked somewhat up, as if he were confessing a fear to God. "Man, I thought New York was the only place I could get mixed up in a murder rap."

I noticed Johnny tense, so I rubbed his arm. I kissed Dallas good bye, and we were out.

* * *

On the train, I was the first one out. Ponyboy had his head on Johnny's lap and I was holding Johnny protectively.

After Ponyboy got directions, I smiled at the church. I didn't care if it was beaten, for the time being, it was home.

* * *

**A/N: Can I just say I love my copy of this book? I got it from a used book store. Its pages are yellowed and it has that old book smell. It's got the stamps in the front from a Junior Highschool in Arkansas. It's like it's telling two stories, one's ****_The Outsiders _****and the other is everywhere this copy of it alone has been. That's why I like old books.**


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up a bit earlier than Ponyboy. "Johnny?" He called, which resounded with an echo.

"He's out. Gone to the store. I woulda gone, but he dragged himself up 'fore I woke up." I told him. I handed him a cup and sat down on the back steps beside him.

Ponyboy looked at me. "Hey, Joyce Anne?"

I turned back to him. "Yeah, Stable?"

He winced at the nickname he didn't like. "Can you tell me a story? To pass the time."

I shrugged. We'd always had somebooks around our house- _The Wizard of Oz _was my favorite. But nothing I could recite by memory. "I'm not a book, Ponyboy."

He looked at me. "You've got a life. Anyone's life can be a book."

I smiled a little. "Well, if we make it out of this mess, maybe you should make a book out of this whole thing." Then I thought for a moment. "Well, I suppose I could tell you some stuff." Ponyboy nodded. I realized why he was talking with me. I had brown hair and brown eyes, and from playing outside recently I'd gotten tan. I reminded him, for the moment, of Johnny. I passed the time telling him Greek myths I remembered from class. Hades and Persephone, the Trojan War, the story of the nymph named Echo. Ones I remembered.

Johnny soon came back. I'd been in the kitchen by then though, trying to clean up the place. The first thing I heard was Johnny and Ponyboy calling me in.

"Johnny wants me and him to bleach our hair!" Ponyboy exclaimed.

Johnny looked up at me, I was just a little taller than him. "They'll have our descriptions in the paper, we can't fit them! You don't gotta because you weren't there and..." He trailed off. But I knew what he was going to say, no one'd flip out. He was perfectly right, of course. I'd been orphaned, and somehow "forgot" to file in with the police and be shipped off to my uncle's in Kansas City. So he got letters from me as my mom. So I hopped around from house to house.

I cut their hair, Ponyboy read aloud from _Gone With the Wind _as I cut his.

After that though, I'm not sure what they talked about. I was inside, in the sanctuary. I figured now was the best time to pray as there ever would be.


	5. Chapter 5

I passed the next few days by worrying myself sick, practically, if I wasn't listening to Ponyboy and read. Thinking about where to next. Surely the cops would eventually find us. Even if they were searching in France, they'd eventually find out we weren't there. And then they'd come back here...

I thought about Johnnycakes and Ponyboy and Texas. I'd always planned on maybe renting a house and working to pay it off somehow, marrying Dally and Johnny moving out of that hell hole he called home. I'd been reworking my plan in my head. Maybe we could live in this church. I knew of a treehouse in my old backyard, which was better than nothing I suppose. But Johnny and Dallas deserved better. Nicer. Ok, well, ol' Texas didn't really deserve the shoes he wore. But I loved him. I loved him to the end.

I will admit, hearing Johnny call Dallas a gallant Southern gentleman broke my heart. Because the person I fell in love with wasn't. He was hard. Real. Something Southern gentlemen weren't.

* * *

But, boy, was I glad to see Dallas. Him, Johnny and I talked a bit before Ponyboy got up.  
"Hey, Dally!"

And Texas grinned back. "Hey Ponyboy," a smirk, "Or should I say Sleeping Beauty?" I only smiled softly. Admittedly, I relax with Dally around. Johnny was practically my brother and I always felt protective around him, and I got rougher with the rest of the gang. But just me and Dally could sure do a lot in a Buck Merril party bedroom if I felt up to it, though I usually didn't, so he'd pick up a girl like Sylvia. Easy to lead on and into a one-night stand. But Dallas got me to relax and be a whole lot sweeter.

"How's Sodapop? Are the fuzz after us? Is Darry all right? Do the boys know where we are? What..." Ponyboy was cut off by Dallas.

"Hold on, kid. I can't answer everything at one. You two want to go get something to eat first? I skipped breakfast and I'm about starved." This earned a sharp look from me to my boyfriend.

"You're starved?" Johnny protested, and I don't think I'd ever seen him so ornery.

Dally just grinned. "Yep," and got a cigarette off of Johnny.

In Buck's T-Bird, I got a good look at my boy. Texas had grown a bit of stubble, it was the wispy shade of blonde, like his hair. Can't say Dally looked awful with facial hair, but odd. You usually didn't see Dallas Winston with anything on that face of his. I'd once heard Ponyboy compare Soda to a Greek god- I think it was Poseidon? Maybe Zeus- and he could look good doing anything, but my Dally couldn't.

I tried to relax on the way to the Dairy Queen. But that calm wouldn't last.


End file.
